How to become Tax Preparer in 2024

Tax Preparer Prepare tax returns for individuals or small businesses.

Tax Preparer is Also Know as

In different settings, Tax Preparer is titled as

• Certified Income Tax Preparer (CTP)
• Corporate Tax Preparer
• Enrolled Agent
• Income Tax Preparer
• Tax Advisor
• Tax Associate
• Tax Consultant
• Tax Preparer
• Tax Professional
• Tax Specialist

Education and Training of Tax Preparer

Tax Preparer is categorized in Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience Required for Tax Preparer

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Education Required for Tax Preparer

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Degrees Related to Tax Preparer

• Bachelor in Accounting
• Associate Degree Courses in Accounting
• Masters Degree Courses in Accounting
• Bachelor in Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping
• Associate Degree Courses in Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping
• Masters Degree Courses in Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping
• Bachelor in Taxation
• Associate Degree Courses in Taxation
• Masters Degree Courses in Taxation

Training Required for Tax Preparer

Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Related Ocuupations

Some Ocuupations related to Tax Preparer in different industries are

• Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents
• Accountants and Auditors
• Personal Financial Advisors
• Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
• Credit Analysts
• Loan Officers
• Credit Counselors
• Financial Examiners
• Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists
• Brokerage Clerks
• Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks
• Billing and Posting Clerks
• Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks
• Budget Analysts
• Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs
• Financial Managers
• Loan Interviewers and Clerks
• Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks
• Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate
• Investment Fund Managers

What Do Tax Preparer do?

• Compute taxes owed or overpaid, using adding machines or personal computers, and complete entries on forms, following tax form instructions and tax tables.
• Prepare or assist in preparing simple to complex tax returns for individuals or small businesses.
• Use all appropriate adjustments, deductions, and credits to keep clients' taxes to a minimum.
• Interview clients to obtain additional information on taxable income and deductible expenses and allowances.
• Review financial records, such as income statements and documentation of expenditures to determine forms needed to prepare tax returns.
• Furnish taxpayers with sufficient information and advice to ensure correct tax form completion.
• Consult tax law handbooks or bulletins to determine procedures for preparation of atypical returns.
• Calculate form preparation fees according to return complexity and processing time required.
• Check data input or verify totals on forms prepared by others to detect errors in arithmetic, data entry, or procedures.
• Answer questions and provide future tax planning to clients.
• Explain federal and state tax laws to individuals and companies.
• Schedule appointments with clients.

Qualities of Good Tax Preparer

• Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
• Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
• Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
• Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
• Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
• Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
• Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
• Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
• Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
• Memorization: The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
• Speed of Closure: The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
• Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
• Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
• Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
• Time Sharing: The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
• Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
• Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
• Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
• Wrist-Finger Speed: The ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Hearing Sensitivity: The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
• Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
• Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
• Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
• Sound Localization: The ability to tell the direction from which a sound originated.
• Glare Sensitivity: The ability to see objects in the presence of a glare or bright lighting.
• Depth Perception: The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
• Peripheral Vision: The ability to see objects or movement of objects to one's side when the eyes are looking ahead.
• Night Vision: The ability to see under low-light conditions.
• Spatial Orientation: The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
• Gross Body Equilibrium: The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
• Gross Body Coordination: The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
• Dynamic Flexibility: The ability to quickly and repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Extent Flexibility: The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Stamina: The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
• Dynamic Strength: The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
• Explosive Strength: The ability to use short bursts of muscle force to propel oneself (as in jumping or sprinting), or to throw an object.
• Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
• Speed of Limb Movement: The ability to quickly move the arms and legs.
• Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
• Rate Control: The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
• Response Orientation: The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
• Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.

Tools Used by Tax Preparer

• 10-key calculators
• Desktop computers
• Notebook computers

Technology Skills required for Tax Preparer

• ACI TaskTracker
• ATX Total Accounting Office
• ATX Total Tax Office
• CCH ProSystem fx TAX
• Creative Solutions CPA Depreciation
• Creative Solutions UltraTax CS
• Datagroup ElectroFile 1040
• Datagroup ElectroFile ELF
• Datagroup ElectroFile ST
• Datair Employee Benefits Systems
• Electronic ToolKit for Tax Preparers
• Email software
• ExacTax PackageEX
• Greatland Corporation Winfiler
• GreatTax
• Intellitax financial solutions software
• Intuit ProSeries
• Intuit QuickBooks
• Intuit TurboTax
• Kleinrock Publishing
• LaCerte 1040 Tax Analyzer
• Laserfiche Avante
• M8 Client Billing
• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Internet Explorer
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Word
• Petz Enterprises V-Tax
• Quicken
• Sage 50 Accounting
• Sales Tax Tools Sales Tax Researcher
• ScheduleVIEW
• Sungard Relius
• Sync Essentials Trade Accountant
• Tax compliance property tax management software
• Tax software
• Thomson GoSystem MyTaxInfo
• Thomson Reuters UltraTax CS
• Universal Tax Systems TaxWise
• Web page creation and editing software